I called in yesterday to purchase a couple of different spices ended up walking out with about 20…read moredifferent packets of spices. When I started speaking with Gareth the owner I very soon realized I was in the right store for me, friendly and knowledgeable and a delight to chat with. The prices of the spices are extremely fare and I have now found my go to store for all of my spice needs. Thank You. Terry.

I'm glad the Spice of Life is in my neck of the woods. I've been coming here on and off for quite…read morea few years now. It's always interesting to have a browse around and see what's new. If you get there early enough you can pick up some organic bread too but that goes pretty quickly. The staff are really friendly and will always check to see if they've got stock in the back you might want. For me the only frustration really is it looks and feels the same as it has done for many years now. It feels as if it hasn't really developed in the same way Pulse has over the other side of town. Often the shelves are empty and it has a faint air of muddle and neglect. The couple who run it are lovely but don't seem to be interested in developing it. It feels like it's stuck in a bit of a time-warp. To be honest I would visit more often if this aspect improved.

Holland & Barrett run offers continuously on health food supplements, which is a great time to…read morestock up but watch you don't end up shopping there for all your needs as it's fairly pricey. If your a fan of whey protein you'll find Holland & Barrett reasonably priced. There supplement range has regular price reductions to draw you in and spend money on other items. I personally only use multivitamins so most of the time I restock. I consider Holland & Barrett to be the only alternative to local health food shops but If i'm in the market for some saffron I'd go to a local health store.

I have to admit to shopping at Holland & Barrett on a reasonably regular basis. I prefer to…read morepatronise the independents, and I regularly do, but it would be madness to avoid keeping a watchful eye on the Holland & Barrett window display to see what offers they are carrying each month, as doing so ultimately saves me a phenomenal amount of money! It's a clever ploy to display heavily discounted products in a regularly rotated window display... it clearly works! I tend to watch out for the really expensive items like Co Q 10 and Glucosamine, which thankfully Holland & Barrett slash in price quite often. I tend to be rigorously disciplined when I enter their store however, and will only allow myself to buy the heavily discounted items that I would struggle to afford buying from elsewhere. Everything else I will buy from an independent health food shop, and am happy to pay the premium for the knowledge that the owners will generally impart without too much prompting. They also stock things that are less mainstream which Holland & Barrett haven't cottoned onto yet... However, I have to admit that Holland & Barrett Are pretty good at staying in pace with developments and always carry a good range of products. Also in their defence, they usually have someone who is pretty knowledgeable about the products and general health working on their shop floor at any given time.

As far as I'm aware, there are two Health With Herbs outlets in Cardiff, this one on Cowbridge Road…read moreEast, and another in The Royal Arcade in the centre of town, (off St Mary Street, and The Hayes). It's reassuring to know that they have opted to set up shop on a road that seems to be flooded with cholesterol and big fat meals comprised of empty calories, and a lot of them! Health With Herbs gives me hope that the people of Canton will live to see their fortieth birthdays! I love this place. It's a no-nonsense health shop, that doesn't circumb to all the gimmicks that more 'upmarket' shops trade on in order to optimise profits. I come here for things like Agnus Castus, and therapeutic doses of Vit C when I'm fighting infection. It's a really well stocked shop, with eminently affordable prices. It's brilliant!

They have a great range of supplements and vitamins, and if you ask nicely they might even sell…read moresome of them to you. I advise that you go into the store knowing what it is that you want, however, as I always find it a little daunting otherwise. Fortunately they have a good, structured website that can help you out. They have particularly good sporting sections, with all those powered drinks and the like - which I don't fully understand, despite knowing a ton (probably literally) of body builders. They also have a good aromatherapy section, but they don't let you smell things before you buy, and that, to me, is the most important thing. How do you know what you want your baths smelling of otherwise? Health With Herbs is a store which specialises in the medically orientated side of health foods and nutrients. The prices are pretty much the same as other places of this ilk, but you won't be tempted to buy gluten-free jaffa cakes (this can be both good and bad).

Oh dear. A friend…read moreand I discovered the true majesty of this shop for the first time yesterday, and now I think we're both going to be poor. But healthy! The range of food in this store is much better than I had imagined it would me. For some reason I had it in my mind that they mainly dealt in vitamins and supplements. And, of course, they have these in abundance. But they also have a glorious amount of yummy food, tempting treats and nibbles, excellent value muesli, tofu, vegetarian yummies, diabetic-friendly products, and more besides. There was also a table of reduced items which was certainly worth a look through, as I found some excellent deals that way! My friend and I both came out with an armful of goodies. Then we sat in the sun and sipped our little cartoons of chocolate soy milk, and sighed with contentment. Ahhhh.

The Health Shop in Cowbridge is a great little place. It stocks a good range of supplements and…read morewhole foods as well as herbal and energetic remedies, all of which are a little pricey, but then again, it is Cowbridge and you'd spend more on petrol going to Cardiff to buy these things. They do however, redress the balance by offering some drastically reduced items. These are always featured in the window and are essentially lost leaders to try and get you to come in and buy more things, which of course you do. So, on balance, you don't spend any more than you would if you went to Cardiff to go to Holland and Barrett. The best deal by far that I have seen them do is the Manuka Honey. This is usually not far over half the price of a good quality Manuka at other health food shops. They run this particular offer really regularly, so it's well worth glancing in the window the next time you are in town, especially if you are running low, or feel a cold coming on.

This is, without any shadow of a doubt, my favourite shop in Penarth. When i lived out at Cowbridge…read moreI used to visit it quite regularly. These days I rarely use it, and I miss it terribly! Jo's Organic Stores is a well established mini organic supermarket that receives a twice weekly delivery of organic fruit, vegetables and meat. This means that the fresh produce is always in excellent condition. They also stock a broad selection of dry goods as well as cleaning agents and equipment. On top of all of this they also stock a great selection of Fair Trade products. Without dispute this is a fantastic shop. They are incredibly friendly and helpful, and they champion small producers, ethical producers and the organic food cause... what more could you want!?!

Great shop with a bit of intelligence behind the counter. More like a healthy-eating organic club…read morewith many loyal customers. It's a little bit hidden on Upper Glebe St but it's still central and a great discovery for those who wish to be friends with food. Wide selection for vegans and veggies,too; and fresh produce is sourced as local as possible.

Imagine Holland & Barrett without the glory of the food section. This is Health With Herbs…read more They have a great range of supplements and vitamins, and if you ask nicely they might even sell some of them to you. I advise that you go into the store knowing what it is that you want, however, as I always find it a little daunting otherwise. Fortunately they have a good, structured website that can help you out. They have particularly good sporting sections, with all those powered drinks and the like - which I don't fully understand, despite knowing a ton (probably literally) of body builders. They also have a good aromatherapy section, but they don't let you smell things before you buy, and that, to me, is the most important thing. How do you know what you want your baths smelling of otherwise? Health With Herbs is a store which specialises in the medically orientated side of health foods and nutrients. The prices are pretty much the same as other places of this ilk, but you won't be tempted to buy gluten-free jaffa cakes (this can be both good and bad).

This is a small health food store in Penarth, selling a range of products from lentils to lip…read moregloss. They have a good range of food, including preserves, nuts and pulses. They also have fruit and nut bars, protein bars and supplements. I went in looking for diabetic sugar alternatives, and was pleased to discover that they not only stocked it, but charged the same decent price as Holland & Barretts. There is a wide range of natural and organic cosmetics, shampoos, lotions and the like. They have a great range of sea salt scrubs in a number of enchantingly tempting flavours. This shop is not all fancy and hippy like you might think. Instead it's a sensible and well laid out store that does exactly what it says it does; provides health and beauty products. And a good range at a good price.

Pro Health and Nutrition is like a mini-Beanfreaks (for those of you familiar with the Cardiff city…read morecentre health food store), offering a wide range of products from pills to protein shakes. The store interior is a bit dated and the carpet could use replacing, but the stock here more than makes up for it. I even found Tom's of Maine deodorant, which I've only seen back home in the States, priced at £3.80 (it's aluminium free, which is apparently better for you. Whether that's true or not remains to be seen). Pro Health also carries a wide range of beauty products, many of them natural and organic (I was pleased to see an extensive selection of items made using tea tree oil), as well as protein supplements, nuts, and vitamins. Pro Health also sell poncy teas like Clipper, which I fail to find at competing stores, so major points for that.